Romanism in the Catholic Church
Definition of the Doctrine of,
©Lucio J. Mascarenhas, formerly "Prakash". 6th. October, 2002.
It is important to understand what the Church means when it speaks, and to know the exact terms.
The Branch Heresy teaches that all the bodies of people who call themselves Christian are members of one single, though invisible body, the Church founded by our Lord, and the body which the Anglican Protestants call the "Roman Catholic Church" is one branch of it.
The Catholic Church denies this heresy.
The Catholic Church refuses the name "Roman Catholic" - Proof: see Article from the Catholic Encyclopedia, 1917, at
Roman Catholic?.
The Catholic Church teaches that it and it alone is the one and only true Church set-up by and founded by our Lord, and that the groups and bodies that seceded from it and from these seceders are not members of it, but are as much strangers to it and God as the pagans.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is composed of several individual bodies of geographically limited Christian communities or Churches, usually called dioceses. eg. The Church of Rome, the Church of London, the Church of Athens, the Church of Bombay, etc.
These Churches are not independent churches in the sense of the Branch Heresy, but, using modern language, the "local chapters" of the Church.
When the Church talks of the Holy Roman Church, it means not the Catholic Church as a whole, nor does it mean "the Roman Catholic Church" as defined by Protestantism, but it means the Church of Rome, or to put in modern language, the Roman Chapter of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
This is what is meant by the Church, in its references to the "Church of Rome" in the documents of the Councils and in the teachings of the Magisterium.
To deny this is to
affirm the Branch Heresy.
Since the prince of the Apostles, St Peter (or Simon Bar-John) transferred his seat from the Syrian Antioch to Rome, and died there, it has therefore been understood, and that right from the beginning, that his successors are his successors in the bishopric of that city, Rome.
About the central role of this city and the Church he founded there, the last Ecumenical Council, the Council of the Vatican held in 1870 under the auspices of His Holiness Pope Pius the 9th of happy memory, reaffirming what was said by the Councils and saints before it, taught that this Church (the particular Roman Church):
- "Has always kept the true Religion unsullied." (213.4)
- "That the faith can suffer no Diminution here." (216.3)
- "In its faith, the whole, true and perfect security of the Christian religion resides." (213.5)
- "Because of its greater sovereignty, it was always necessary for every church to be in agreement with the Roman Church." (204.5)
The Church further teaches of this Roman Church
'That the Papacy will always remain, at least until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham; and that the particular Roman Church or Church of Rome will always exist, without ever entirely falling away.'
The Roman Church: Mother & Mistress
When the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church speaks of 'the One Holy and Apostolic Church', or of the 'the One Holy and Apostolic Roman Church' or of 'the Holy Mother Church,' she speaks of hereself.
When it speaks of the 'Roman Church' or of the 'Holy Roman Church,' it means the local Church of Rome, or to put it in modern parlance, the Roman Chapter of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
It is this Roman Church (or Chapter) which is properly called the Mother and Mistress of all the other Churches (or Chapters) and of all Christians.
This relationship is purely internal - within the Community of Believers. It does not include any of the Heretical and/or Schismatic sects.
This Holy Roman Church is
NOT the Mother and Mistress of any of the Sects, whose only real Parent and Master is Satan!
The Church in General and the Roman Church are two distinct entities; the latter being part of the former.
The Roman Church and the Apostolic See or the Papacy are two distinct entities; the latter being part of the former.
The Bishop of Rome is the Pope, the occupant of the Apostolic See, in his capacity of the bishop of Rome or the Governor of the Roman Chapter and is also known as the Roman Pontiff. As a result of this, he is also the Lieutenant and Plenipotentary of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Supreme Governor of all the faithful on earth.
©Lucio J. Mascarenhas, formerly "Prakash". 6th. October, 2002.